i really love my Janome. I have the 1600P DBX, which is a straight stitch machine with a 9 in. throat. I have a little kenmore that I've had for about 5 years which is my "fancy" stitch machine and the one I take to my quilt nights because it is lighter than the Janome.
I would recommend you think about what you want your machine to do for you and go for the most you can get for the money, without sacrificing quality!